Thoughts on accurinzing a Ruger no1..or not

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thepitchedlink

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Well after a year long wait she's finally here, I figured the only way to get a No1A in 7x57 was to pay full price and wait. Last week the box from P&D finally showed up. But!! it's shooting a little weird and I need some help from those of you that have owned them for a while. I'm shooting 154g Hornadys with H4350, 41-50g so far. Ya, my book stops at 46grains but research shows that 2800fps with the 154 is safe, and the No1 is the action to do it with. Primers are finally starting to flatten at 49g and 2790fps.
But, she's chucking flyers all over the place, I thought it was the scope so I changed that out and it's still doing it. I can get a group around 1inch, then throw one right off the paper. Surfing the great "web" shows all sorts of ideas to fix the no1, but I want to make sure it's broken first. I've been shooting off the hood of the truck the last few days as the range is snowed in, so it's not the best set up. I have a front and rear bag. Here's what little I know:
- some don't like a hard rest, must have to do with that front hanger, I didn't pay very good attention to that. So what happens? Is the hanger touching inside the foregrip somewhere and causing a vibration? Where should the bag be, right at the back or up front?
- I've seen it suggested to put a shim between the hanger and barrel to change the harmonics....anyone done that?
- Bed the hanger and forestock. So I guess the spring and hanger get bedded right into the epoxy? Is the bedding supposed to fill the whole back end of the fore stock and surround all the hanger and back of the barrel?
- Free float the barrel, the only way to do this is to first bed the back end of the fore stock..although I've seen some article about putting an "O" ring around the fore screw and raising the whole action.

So what's yer thoughts,anoyone done any or all of these things. I'm thinking I should go back and keep it simple and try a "soft" rest under the front end. Maybe shoot off my hand or something. I don't mind bedding it, but it looks like a bit of work and I'm not sure about how much bedding material is supposed to be in there, around the hanger. Just a little under it for support or around everything to lock it together. Any info appreciated, Pitched
 
I had one in 25-06 Varmint model a few years back and while it shot not too bad, it never did as well as I thought it should, so, I eventually got rid of it. My brother in law at the time used to collect Ruger # 1's and said he accidently found out a problem that influenced the accuracy that could be obtained. Most of his problem originated with a fore end problem.

With that in mind, when I later got another Varmint model in 22-250, I found an article that helped. In the Sept. 2000 issue of Rifle Magazine, there is an article titled "Shooting and Tuning the Ruger No.1" by Ross Seyfried. Bottem line, I had a local gunsmith check the gun and article and then he went ahead with some of the suggested tuning aspects. It definately made a difference.

From what you've said about the way yours is shooting, just getting a gunsmith to 'go over it' may in itself help considerably.

I have a scan of the article I've mentioned as well as some similarily related info from the Beartooth Bullets site that you might find helpful. If you're interested, PM me your e-mail address and I'll forward it on.
 
forend inlet may not be even causing a bedding problem hence when the barrel heats up there is a shift and flyer. Or is the forend screw tight. For some guns a simple trick like a rubber o-ring as a tensioner between the barrel and the stock can make the difference in how the gun shoots. There used to be a kit that you could buy just for this purpose.

RifleShooter magazine had an article on how to home smith and improve the accuray of your No. 1.

Barrel break in, i presume you are doing some of that etc and lastly get a trigger job done.

enjoy
 
7X57 Ruger#1

I'm in the same boat as you. I recently got a 2 year old, used 7X57 Ruger #1 International. Last time out I seemed to be getting some groups in the 1" range, but with the occassional flyer. Up to now I've been trying to determine it's preference for bullet weights like 145&160 Speer G/S, 154 Hornady and it seems to like 160 Partitions. I've seated the bullets as far out as possible and have been using IMR 4350 and 4064. Mine's fully stocked with a short barrel which might make it a little fussy and that end-cap grips the stock and muzzle together which also may be an issue. Mines for hunting, not target-shooting but want to get it shooting consistantly.
Dont mean to highjack your thread, but will be interested to see others comments.
Geoff
 
I have a bit of experience with noi.1's ( owned about ten of them ) and they can be made very accurate.
The forend hanger tends to interfere with the barrel harmonics, and the forend itself is no help to the whole mess.
The esiest way to tell is to take the forend off, and drive a small wedge in between the barrel and the hanger and shoot it like that, then put the forend back on.
MAKE SURE the wedge is secure, and you are shooting from a rock solid rest - front and rear.
Even if you are only holding one inch at 100, the flyers should stop.
if they do, take the wedge out and try it like that.
if the flyers start again, it's the forend hanger.

You can buy a Hicks accurizer that you can install yourself, or get a gunsmith to D&T a 8X48 screw into the forend hanger and tighten it down to stress the hanger.
I have not found a drill press that will do this job withut a powerfeed BTW, and it is better done on a vertical mill - the hanger is hard and TOUGH!!

After that you can screw it in till it touches, then put about a two turn tension on it, and adjust from there.
I woyld float the forend as well, anyway.
make sure you have the most accurate ammo you can build , and remember that the bullet may work better with a bit of jump, and that max powder charge does not always mean better accuracy!:)
Cat
 
Another thing to consider is the length of the throat. The 7x57 was notorious for having a long throat as most reamers were designed for the originally spec'd 175 RN bullet. The nice thing about a #1 is that you're not restricted to a maximum OAL lik eyou would be with a bolt action. Try seating the bullets out until they're nearly touching the lands and shoot some groups. Might cure your problems without too much screwing around.

That article by Seyfried is a great one. I know I have it in storage bu tI should get the scan off Johnn as well.
 
update

Little update here. Took her back out and tried putting the rest right at the back of the forestock...then decided to just shoot off my hand, which was laying on the front shooting bag. No change. First shot went right into the center of the bull, but the next 2 walked all over the place. So then I took the fore stock off, and wedged two pennies inbetween the hanger and barrel...had to use a flat screwdriver to open the gap up a bit and couldn't put the stock back on, but it was quick to try. So shot her off the bag, with the bag only touching the reciever, not the hanger. POI moved 3 inches low, but put all 3 rounds into an inch...guess I'm cutting up a couple of pennies tonight with the dremel. Yes, I know, defacing money...I'm take my chances.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Another thing to consider is the length of the throat. The 7x57 was notorious for having a long throat as most reamers were designed for the originally spec'd 175 RN bullet. The nice thing about a #1 is that you're not restricted to a maximum OAL lik eyou would be with a bolt action. Try seating the bullets out until they're nearly touching the lands and shoot some groups. Might cure your problems without too much screwing around.

That article by Seyfried is a great one. I know I have it in storage bu tI should get the scan off Johnn as well.
Click to expand...

I've always got my best accuracy results, by minimizing the freebore as much as possible, providing the rounds still fit in the magazine. I'm doing the same on my latest toy at the moment, a 7x61 S&H in a M-68DL Schultz & Larsen. The beauty with both of my S&L's is there is no shortage of room in the mag so I'll extend the bullet out until it's just shy of touching the lands, leaving about 0.005" of freebore. With a single shot like the #1, mag length doesn't even enter the equation as a restriction on the C.O.A.L.

If you're interested in a scan of that info, PM me your e-mail address and I'll send one on. It's got some good suggestions and made a difference on my #1-V in 22-250.
 
Thanks to John for the scan of the Rifle article, my limited computer skills finally got it printed. I'm running .030 off the lands, that's were I start most of my loads....but COAL can't account for what this gun is doing right now. Gonna try it with the pennies bonded in there tommorow.
 
thepitchedlink said:
Thanks to John for the scan of the Rifle article, my limited computer skills finally got it printed. I'm running .030 off the lands, that's were I start most of my loads....but COAL can't account for what this gun is doing right now. Gonna try it with the pennies bonded in there tommorow.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it'll help you but how my brother in law 'twigged' onto the problem and solution was shooting with the fore end off. Also, try and support the action section on your rest leaving the barrel totally free.
 
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